How to Live on 7$/hour paycheck

I am sitting, after my usual evening "Will & Grace" show (which happens to be the only sitcom that I can sit through) and pitter-pottering around the apartment, and wondering what else to do. The evenings are cooler now (thanks to Ophelia?) and since I have the mandatory late night phone call to make, I have a lot of time to kill. Well, that makes me think why is that phone call "mandatory"? Umm...that's another issue
I am reading a book called "Nickel and Dimed" . The author, a substantially educated (Ph.D.) middle-aged Caucasian woman has undertaken a mission to probe welfare reform...to see for herself how America survives on poverty-level wages. She takes on the life of a typical American, trying to make ends meet literally, working as a housemaid, a WalMart "associate", a waitress, nursing home aide, or hotel maid across Florida through Minnesota, living out of cheap decrepit lodgings. It's a very interesting read; so is her insight and her laudable courage in leaving her comfortable cocooned life for this eye-opening experience.
However she might, she'll never be able to relive the exprience of the people she's trying to empathize with. She knows that whatever happens, at the end of this true-to-life journalistic foray, she'll be back to her usual life dotted with a habitable home with an understanding and supporting family, a stockpiled fridge, warm food on the table and most of all health insurance. She has the backup support that she can leave behind this persona and home into her comfort zone... however, for the millions of Americans who are in this predicament of a lack of life support system (emotional, health as well as financial), where can they escape to?
Anyway, reading her book has been an eye-opener, though at times she has been stoic at the best in the face of the circumstances she faced (which is good because I am sick of tear-jerkers that end with "happily ever after" tag lines). I recommend this book to all who want to know more about what is happening beneath the glitzy outer sheen of the society.